


we children of the tides

by bookwormally



Category: Kingdom Hearts (Video Games)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Multi, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Post-Canon, Post-Kingdom Hearts III, Sora Lives (Kingdom Hearts)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-03
Updated: 2020-08-09
Packaged: 2021-03-06 07:35:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 10,320
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25689694
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bookwormally/pseuds/bookwormally
Summary: A Princess of Heart, a Keyblade Master, and the Boy Not Chosen (but who will be The One to Open the Door), or...Kairi, Riku, and Sora are friends, keyblade bearers, and tied together by something stronger than magic. They've survived by being together, by looking after each other, and now they get to be happy...right? (Yes, of course they do. They have each other.)A collection of oneshots, that may or may not be connected, for sorikai week 2020!
Relationships: Kairi/Riku/Sora (Kingdom Hearts)
Comments: 12
Kudos: 27
Collections: Sorikai Week





	1. Day 1: Hurt/Comfort | Dreams

**Author's Note:**

> Chapter 1: Hurt/Comfort | Dreams  
> Chapter 2: Soulmates | Peace  
> Chapter 3: Childhood Friends | Magic  
> Chapter 4: First Kiss | Snow  
> Chapter 5: Domestic | Gifts  
> Chapter 6: Reunion | Wish  
> Chapter 7: Wedding | Free Day

Day 1:  **Hurt/Comfort** **|** ~~Dreams~~

It takes a lot to make Kairi shy, but when she’s staring into the mirror this time, it’s not a matter of telling herself that she doesn’t give a damn if people think her stomach or her thighs are too big. It’s not a matter of freckles or stretch marks. No, people are going to look at her, look at the scar that cuts diagonally across her back, and want to ask questions.

It’s still so red, so obviously new, and she can only cover a part of it at the shoulder.  _ Is it worse that it’s there or that it shows just how useless you were? _ Kairi presses her lips together, but the voice is coming from inside her head. They’re supposed to be going to the beach, hanging out with their friends here on Destiny Islands, and maybe...maybe she should just wear the sundress and stay out of the water. If the scar is covered, they don’t have to talk about it. No one will ask and she won’t have to think about it. They can enjoy the day like they’re supposed to be doing.

“Kai?” Riku calls, knocking on the bathroom door. “I need your opinion on something.”

“Just a second!” Kairi tugs the sundress over her bikini, smoothing it out so no evidence of her struggle is obvious in the tangle of fabric. She opens the door, smiling up at Riku. “What’s up?”

Riku is dressed in a shirt and swim trunks and looks completely ready to go. He tugs the end of his shirt and then glances over his shoulder. “You need to tell me how bad this looks.”

“It’s a t-shirt, Riku. It’s fine.” Kairi lifts an eyebrow. “Seriously?”

“Not  _ that _ .” Riku pushes at the door and she steps back to let him in. He takes the time to shut the door behind them and okay, clearly this is serious. Riku turns to her, both hands on the hem of his shirt. “How bad does this look?” He tugs his shirt up, exposing his side.

She already saw it once, the burn only barely covered with a hasty  _ cure _ spell and then wrapped up to heal naturally. That was...so long ago or at least feels that way. Kairi runs her fingers carefully over it, the slightly raised and bumpy skin. It’s no longer an angry awful red,  _ not like hers _ , and when she takes a step back, it looks like a part of Riku. 

Kairi smiles up at him. “Not bad at all. And I mean, it’s pretty badass to tell people you took a laser to the side, right?”

Riku exhales what could almost be a laugh and drops his shirt. “Yeah, I guess. I just wanted to make sure it wouldn’t upset Sora.”

Shit, she didn’t even think about that. What will Sora think if he sees the mark across her back? He was so wrecked by the whole thing already… Kairi nods quickly. “I think he’ll be fine. You guys got through that fight together, so he knows everything turned out alright.” She gives him a thumb’s up and really kind of hopes he leaves. She has to get out of her bikini, and then pretend she couldn’t find one that was still in good shape when they get to the beach and people ask why she doesn’t have one.

But Riku doesn’t leave. He looks at her, frowning slightly, and puts a hand to her shoulder. “Are you okay?”

“Fine,” she answers and knows it’s too quick. “Really, I’m fine, Riku, so if you could just give me a minute to finish getting my stuff th-.”

“How’s your back?” he asks, because he’s probably some kind of psychic.

Kairi frowns at him. “It’s fine.”

Riku lifts his eyebrow now and presses at her shoulder. “Then I can look at it.” He doesn’t press hard, doesn’t force her to turn, but Kairi knows him. He’ll keep watch on her all afternoon instead of enjoying himself. Riku watches both of them, worried that again they’ll slip from his fingers.

If it eases his mind, she can show him her back for a second. Kairi sighs and turns, tugging her sundress up. Even with her back to him, she knows his face goes red. That makes her smile. “I’ve got my suit on, don’t worry,” she teases.

“You and Sora have a never-ending war with clothes,” Riku mutters. His fingers are soft when they touch her back - following the line of her scar until she shivers. “It’s looking better. I bet the redness will start to really fade by next week.”

“You think?” Kairi doesn’t twist to look, tugging her dress down again. Riku’s hands settle on her shoulders and squeeze. A kiss brushes the top of her head and she looks up at him. “What are you doing?”

Riku smiles at her. “Reassuring you.”

“I don’t think you can just say that and have it be true.” But she smiles back slightly. It shakes as she thinks of the sword cleaving through her back again. “I don’t...I don’t want to have to explain it to the others.”

“Then you don’t have to. What did you tell me? You don’t have to tell anyone, except for us.” Riku squeezes her shoulders warmly. “The exception was stated very firmly. No arguments allowed.”

“Well of course you’re supposed to talk to us! Not talking didn’t help anything.” Kairi huffs at him and twists around so they’re facing each other. Riku pulls her a bit closer. “It’s not awful to look at?” she echoes his earlier question.

Riku shakes his head. “It’s badass. It shows how tough you are to have come back and kept fighting.”

It doesn’t feel like that’s what she did. It feels like she fell right into place for Xehanort and Sora did all the work. Kairi hums and slumps into his chest. “Maybe I’m not ready to even show it.”

“That’s allowed.” Riku hugs her tight, pressing her close enough that she can feel the warmth of his light.

The door creaks open and Sora sticks his head in. “Everything okay? I heard you guys talking. Didn’t want to interrupt.” Of course he’s interrupting now, but quietly. His gaze moves over both of them and he steps into the hug, an arm around as much of them as he can reach. “We don’t have to go today if you don’t want to!”

“We’re fine, Sora.” Kairi loops an arm around him. “We’re definitely going. We were doing a few wardrobe checks.” Sora’s hand is warm on her back, Riku’s practically overlapping it. They don’t think less of her, don’t think of her as The One Who Needs Saved, not anymore. Kairi takes a breath. She’s brave,  _ she’s brave _ , and she can tell them. “I was worried about the scar on my back.”

Sora frowns and his hand moves up slightly. “It’s all closed up so the salt water shouldn’t bother it. Not like Riku’s when we came back from the Realm of Darkness.”

Riku hisses through his teeth. “I almost forgot about that. I thought my whole side was on fire.”

“But you swam to shore like it was nothing!” Kairi pinches his arm. “I only found out from Sora later that you ate sand before you came home.”

“I was trying to be cool,” Riku admits with a sigh. 

Sora rolls his eyes and turns to Kairi. “I’m sorry you have it, really, but...at least you’re not the only one?” He pulls his hand from Riku and tugs his shirt collar down enough to show the scar over his heart and the start of the one that crosses his chest.

“Good point.” Riku keeps his hands on them, but they both already know about the scar on his side, the brace he wears for his wrist. They’ve all been through things they wouldn’t wish on anyone, but they made it out the other side.

Kairi wraps her arms around them. “Thank you.”

* * *

On the beach, when she and Selfie are sitting in the sand and watching the others play in the waves, Selfie will ask about it. “I thought I saw the worst after you wiped out over the reef. Does it hurt like that?”

Kairi had almost forgotten about that - surfing practice feels like a child’s game now. She leans back on her hands, the sand warm under her skin as the water from her recent dip in the waves evaporates. “No, those cuts were  _ awful _ . This happened kind of fast. It was fixed almost before I knew it.” The actual wound was nothing compared to everything else around it.

“Guess magic’s nice like that.” Selphie rubs more sunscreen onto her arms, but she’s watching Kairi. “Tidus thinks you could kick his ass now, so anytime you wanna prove that let me know. I need to take a video to remind him not to brag about himself endlessly the next time they win a game.” It’s clear Selphie would listen if Kairi wanted to talk about it, but she takes Kairi’s answer and doesn’t press.

“I don’t want to completely embarrass him.” Kairi smiles at her.  _ I’ll tell you some time, when I’m ready. _ She turns back to the ocean. Sora is sitting on Riku’s shoulders, a wooden sword in his hand. Riku ducks lower, threatening to dump Sora, and then jumps up. Both of them splash backwards into the water, kicking up plenty of spray. It’s silly, it’s childish, and it makes the scars cut into their skin feel like things that don’t matter at all.

Hopefully soon, Kairi will be able to look at her back in the mirror and feel like she’s stitched it entirely closed - a scar that’s faded until it’s nothing more than a story.


	2. Day 2: Soulmates | Peace

Day 2: ~~Soulmates~~ **| Peace**

In a place of endless sea and stars, there is nothing to worry about. There is beauty and there is quiet. The light shifts subtly, reflecting in the water like the brightest sky; and then it is dusky pink and purple, the stars only just beginning to shine. They grow brighter as the sky grows darker, deep blue that’s not quite black, until the stars are the only light around. They shine down from above or perhaps below, everywhere all around, a million worlds.

He lies in the middle of the stars, water keeping the edges of his clothes and the tips of his hair afloat. There is nothing but the sky, the stars, and the water. It is quiet, it is peaceful - he can rest. His eyes slip closed, the lights still dancing under his lids, and maybe he sleeps.

Maybe he doesn’t. The night sky above and below are still there when his eyes open again. Was it just a blink? Has time passed? Does it matter here where everything is the same? Where clusters of light, bits of heart whisper about their pasts, about the hearts they left behind. Did he leave someone behind? Is he nothing more than specks of light?

He lifts a hand and it is not light. It is glassy and his colors fade as he twists his hand back and forth, but they also come back. Something keeps him colored, gives him light other than the stars.

_ She did that before. _

Who? 

And isn’t that a familiar question. Another place full of light, but sharp and hard, and his mind full of wonder at  _ who _ and  _ why _ and  _ how. _ That place wasn’t like this one. That place was twisted, ugly, and this one is beautiful and peaceful.  _ Beautiful and peaceful, just like sleep. _

He doesn’t remember the blink, the closing of his eyes this time. When they open again, the sky is blue, blue,  _ blue, _ and there are no stars. It stretches forever and the clouds drift by in wisps of white. The heart pieces chatter to themselves, whisper to each other. They only talk about him when he speaks to them, when he makes himself known. Maybe until then, he’s nothing more than another bit of sky, a small splash of water.

At least it is peaceful. It’s hard to be lonely when everything is quiet and beautiful and peaceful…

He’s been here for a while. He’s been here before. He knows, but he cannot quite recall. This place is  _ the end _ , but it is also  _ a beginning. _ He’s not sure where things start or end, but this place must have both. He’s found it before, he’s certain. But thinking for too long makes things dark, makes things hurt. It’s better to be at peace.

_ But who did it before? Who might be doing it now? _

If he’s at peace, why do so many questions keep whispering to him? Why does he keep wondering? Doesn’t he  _ want _ to be at peace? Does he want to be hurt again?

_ If I understand hurt...that’s a good thing. Sometimes, things hurt. Being able to take that hurt is part of being strong. I learned that from-. _

Sora takes a breath, suddenly, sharply, and sits up. Water drips off of his hair and his clothes as the sky rapidly turns to night. How long has he been here? How long has he laid in the water and slept? Peace was nice, it was good to get some rest, but not if it means-.

“Riku, Kairi, and all the others, are they okay?” Sora shakes the water from his hands - still glassy, still fading and growing colors.  _ Has another year gone by while I was sleeping? _ He touches a hand to his chest and can feel the thrum of his heartbeat. Kairi held him together before, her heart desperately keeping him whole. He doesn’t know if she’s doing it now, but he won’t find out by lying here and sleeping.

He takes another breath and starts walking under the starry sky, across the starry field. There must be a start, there must be an end, and he’ll find out. Even if it hurts, even if he must walk for time untold.

_ A star falls through the night sky as he holds on tight to his necklace. A promise of years past of protection or a spell that once protected her as she drifted between worlds - he is reminded of both. As the star spreads wings made of light, he sees something rising from the sea below him. Wings ribbed with darkness carry something through the water at equal pace with the star. _

_ Maybe he has it backward. Maybe the light is swimming down through the water to him and the darkness is falling toward him through the sky. All is stars and water and endless expanse. It hardly seems to matter as they collide with him at the same time. _

“Sora!” They cry it in two voices, arms wrapping tightly around him. Riku’s grown another inch and Kairi’s strong enough to pick him up off the ground. Suspended between them, Sora clings to what he can, brushing their hair, their cheeks to chase away tears.

Someone’s legs give out or maybe they slip, but they all end up lying in the water. Sora’s laughing and crying, and Riku and Kairi are doing the same. There’s no beginning to them and no end as they hold on to one another. 

“Finally,” Riku whispers into Sora’s hair.

“Finally,” echoes Kairi, her hand pressed to Sora’s heart. 

He has no idea of what they’ve done to get here, of the emptiness he left behind. Sora doesn’t know, but he does know the loneliness, the endless walk forward to try and find the impossible beginning or maybe the end.

Sora kisses them both and then presses them to look at the horizon. The sun is rising, painting everything in pink and orange and yellow. It’s so very, very warm and so very, very peaceful. They lie together to watch the sunrise and then, fingers intertwined, they go home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I went a bit nuts with The Final World imagery, but like come on who doesn't?


	3. Day 3: Childhood Friends | Magic

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> my magic rules now (aka I'm sure this only sort of makes sense but I'm having a good time!)

Day 3: ~~Childhood Friends~~ **| Magic**

_“Fire.”_

Sparks flicker between her fingers, but don't quite catch. She frowns and lets the magic fill her palm again. _“Fire!”_ More sparks appear, slightly brighter than before, but still it doesn’t turn into a full flame in her hand. Kairi slumps, her hand dropping to dangle toward the ground. “This is exhausting. How does he make it look that _easy?_ ”

She can practically hear Axel’s teasing reply, _“I’ve been flaming since I was a kid.”_

Kairi blows a raspberry at the ground and the Axel in her head. Cheeky bastard, how did he turn into one of her best friends? She can’t entirely blame being locked into the timeless training sphere of Merlin’s. Being forced together doesn’t make anyone friends and all the apologizing had gotten pretty annoying once she realized he meant it and just didn’t know what else to say to her. Axel’s...strange and meeting him as a heartless Nobody desperate to get to Sora hadn’t been endearing. But when they actually started talking...they had more in common than they expected.

_“How are you dealing with this, Kairi? I’m losing my fucking mind knowing they’re out there and getting into danger while I’m stuck here barely able to call the stupid keyblade.”_

_“I guess I’ve gotten used to it, but just because we’re left behind now doesn’t mean we will be. They need us for the fight and I’m going to be there and I am going to help_ **_them_ ** _this time.”_

_“...You’ve already helped them. You even helped Roxas.”_

_“And you helped Riku and Sora, Mister Dark Rescue.”_

_“Ugh, don’t bring it up again.”_

_“Hey, you said it.”_

Axel’s nose had wrinkled and then they were both laughing. Now, Kairi leans back on her hands - hands with more calluses and bruises, hands that can wield a keyblade against more than dinner plates. The grass under her legs is cool; there’s no sun here to warm it up into summer softness. The Tower is always floating in a sky that’s just passed into dusk, where the only traces of the sun hang on the very edge of the horizon. 

The war’s coming and it’s coming soon. They came here to speak to Master Yen Sid, so he could know how they’re doing, if they’re really ready for this. Axel will be, even if his keyblade seems to tease him like he teases other people. He’s been fighting for years and won’t be taken down easily. _And neither will I._ If she keeps saying it, it has to be true.

Kairi closes her eyes and imagines the magic flowing into a sphere in front of her. She packs it together tightly, making it swirl like a ball of fog. If she puts enough magic into it, it has to catch. _“Fire,”_ she whispers. Something sparks and crackles. Kairi quickly opens her eyes. A small ball of fire dances in the air in front of her, sparks falling from it. She smiles and stretches out a hand to cup underneath it.

“Kairi!” The shout comes from far closer than she’s prepared for and with a _boom_ , the fireball explodes. “Holy shit!” Sora closes the few feet between them, Riku at his heels. “Are you okay?”

She wipes the ash from her face with a sigh. “I’m fine. Do I still have my eyebrows?”

Sora leans in close and then nods. “Yep. You have to be more careful if you’re casting magic without a focus.”

“Then don’t shout at me out of the blue,” Kairi says dryly. Sora chuckles awkwardly and wipes away the last of the soot. It doesn’t make her nose stop itching. She rubs at it as they settle beside her on the grass. “Can you do magic without your keyblade, Sora? Axel can and I’ve been trying to practice.”

Sora nods. “It took me a while to pick up, but when I lost the keyblade, it was what I had to use.” He grabs Riku’s hand and squeezes before Riku can even start to grimace. “And after that, it was like wow, that’s really useful! I should keep practicing it. So, I did.” He holds out his other hand, palm up, and says with an ease Kairi is jealous of, _“Aero.”_ Winds swirl in his palm and then out, weaving through Kairi’s hair and then Riku’s. They both smile. Even Sora’s spells feel like him - warm and playful.

“Fire’s probably not the best spell to practice with. It tends to explode.” Sora chuckles, a boy who’s definitely exploded several spells in his face. “Not that that’s always a bad thing.”

Riku snorts, lying back on the grass. He looks ready to take a nap and Kairi can hardly blame him. He’s been running in and out of the Realm of Darkness with the king and it’s wearing him out. Not for the first time, Kairi wishes they weren’t in the center of this war. She pats Riku’s arm. “Can you do magic without the keyblade?”

He wiggles his hand in the air. “A bit. Dark spells are easier without the keyblade because I got used to doing that when all I had was Soul Eater. I have to have my keyblade for pure elemental spells like Sora’s. He’s a showoff.” Riku smirks when Sora blows a raspberry at him.

So she should at least be able to cast light spells without her keyblade. Kairi drops her chin into the palm of her hand. “I was trying with fire because it’s one of my better spells, and I’ve seen Axel do it a lot. I thought I could copy him and pull it off. How do you do it, Sora?”

Sora shrugs. “It’s hard to explain.”

“Can you try, please? All Axel gave me was something about sparks and magic in his palms and then boom, fire.” Kairi rolls her eyes. “I think he came out on fire and doesn’t know how to actually teach it to someone else.”

It makes Riku and Sora both laugh. Kairi smiles to see some of the worry lines eased off their faces. Sora scoots around a bit, so they’re facing each other. “Okay, well, it’s not entirely different than Axel’s explanation. Magic’s weird, right? We don’t really have it at home.”

“Radiant Garden’s a world with natural magic,” Riku adds. “So Axel probably grew up around it.”

“Right, Leon and everybody seems more familiar with magic than I was at the start.” Sora holds both hands up, cupping them together in front of Kairi. “And the thing I had to learn is that while magic can feel easy, you always have to have a way to channel it.”

Kairi nods. She might be from Radiant Garden, but her memories of that time are piecemeal and it’s not like she grew up there long enough to learn magic. “You learned this from Donald?”

“Donald, Merlin, and some from Aerith actually.” Sora smiles. “I think Aerith actually explained it to me best. The energy comes from us and we have to have a way to channel it. That’s why casting without a weapon is harder! We’re used to focusing on the keyblade, so we don’t know how to direct our energy without it. Even the play sword gave me something to focus on, but it would have caught on fire if I cast directly through it.” Sora laughs.

This is more than she expected really. So much of what Sora does seems to be instinct - what feels right to him lets him work best. Kairi nods and puts her fingers on the tips of his. She presses down and then lets up, happy when he has to give slightly to her new strength. “Okay, so you have to channel through your body, right?”

“Yeah, except the same thing applies. You send lightning through your arm and you’re going to get hurt. I’m sure Axel has some marks on his hands, doesn’t he?” Sora wiggles one of his fingers which has a small lightning scar on it. “The thing I finally figured out, which Riku already knows I think, is that you channel that power through your heart.”

Kairi looks at Riku. He looks as confused as her. “I didn’t know that.”

Sora looks at him in surprise. “But that’s what you’re doing! You’re just focusing on the darkness that’s there and using that at the same time as the magic you’re casting.”

“I am?”

“Yes?” Sora blinks at them. “You focus your aim away from yourself, but you’re channeling magical energy through your heart.”

“Sora,” Kairi interrupts carefully, “how can Nobodies use magic then? They were growing hearts back, but they didn’t have them right away.”

“Their weapons were there though. And those were full of magic, I think.” Sora shrugs. “I’m not saying I’m an expert! It’s easier to have a focus, but you won’t hurt yourself so much if you think about the magical energy in your heart and _then_ aim where you want the magic to go with a hand or whatever.”

He sits up a bit straighter, hands still cupped between them. “Like, watch this. If I try to cast _aero_ from my hand…” Wind gathers in his palm, but it scours a cut into his glove. The magic in their outfits fixes it a moment later, but it looks like it could have cut into his skin without them. “But if I think about it from my heart, then it doesn’t do damage to me.”

“We need an actual magic master,” Riku mutters, sitting up. “So you just gather that energy in your heart and then release it.”

“Not like, as an explosion, but yeah.” Sora shrugs again. “Maybe I’m wrong, but that’s what I finally understood from talking to everyone.”

Kairi’s already closing her eyes. She lets the feeling of magic gather in her chest, in the bright spot where her heart beats. It comes easily, swirling around like Sora’s wind spell. She lifts a hand, pointing it away from the other two, and then gives the magic a mental push that same direction. _“Fire.”_

A spot of grass a few feet away from them bursts into flames. “I did it!” Kairi cheers. “Look at that!”

“Okay now put it out!” Riku grabs her arm, other hand starting to summon his keyblade. Before he has more than sparks in his grip, Sora gestures and a spout of water extinguishes the flames. Riku sighs in relief and Sora and Kairi share a laugh. Riku messes up Kairi’s hair. “Oh very funny until the whole yard’s on fire!”

“Master Yen Sid could put it out! It was only a fire spell, not like _fira_ or _firaga_!” Kairi swats at his hand and then squeaks as Riku wraps the arm around her shoulders instead and pulls her close. She smiles up at him cheekily. “Master Riku.”

He sticks his tongue out at her and then kisses the tip of her nose. She sneezes and Riku leans back. “Wow, okay.”

“I still have ash up my nose from Sora!”

Sora comes at her from the other side, putting his head on top of hers. “Guess you’ll have to kiss me instead, Master Riku.”

“I’m not kissing either of you if you’re going to make fun of me.”

“I’m being respectful!” Sora protests. “Come on, one kiss and I won’t sneeze in your mouth!”

Kairi bumps his chin with her head. “This time.”

“I had just dealt with one of those dandelion Heartless last time. That was _not_ my fault.”

Riku kisses each of them in quick succession before they start really bickering. “There. Now, I want to see if I can do the same thing without setting the Tower on fire.”

“Bet if we did it all at the same time, we could set the Tower on fire,” Sora says softly. Kairi giggles and pushes back. They flop away from Riku, Sora huffing as Kairi squishes him to the ground. “Fine, no messing up the Tower. I want it to keep liking me.” He lifts a hand toward the sky and looks at her. 

Kairi grins and lifts her hand too. He doesn’t have to say it, the magic pooling in both of their hearts. _“Aero!”_

Winds whirl around them and rustle through the grass and trees. Twin breezes wrap around Riku and tug him closer to them so he sits down in a huff beside them. “Showoffs,” he tells them. “Okay, let me try.”

They spend an hour together, sitting out on the grass, practicing magic, and thinking not at all about the war just ahead.


	4. Day 4: First Kiss | Snow

Day 4: ~~First Kiss~~ **| Snow**

“Explain to me again why we’re standing at the edge of a cliff on top of a mountain.” Kairi has her hands on her hips already, gaze burning holes into Sora. “And explain why we’re looking  _ down _ the cliff instead of up at the giant ice castle!”

Sora meets her gaze and then carefully sets a very large sled at the edge of the cliff. “Because the castle’s empty right now. Snowball is down in town helping them prepare for Anna’s birthday.”

“That doesn’t explain the cliff! Riku, please tell me you’re on the side of sense here.” Kairi looks at him beseechingly. Riku looks up from the cliff edge and almost immediately looks away.

“Well…”

“Boys!” Kairi throws her hands up. “Why do you think it’s a good idea to go riding down the side of a mountain? Snow won’t save you from a cracked skull!”

Sora shrugs, wiggling the sled. “It did last time. I mean, I got tired of going up and down and up and down, but the sledding part was pretty fun. Especially when we came back and Elsa showed me this trail.” He swings a leg over the sled and grins up at them. “Come on! One run and then we’ll tour the ice castle, I promise.”

“It’ll be hard to tour it when we’re dead,” Kairi grumbles. “You guys cannot be serious.”

Riku covers his mouth with a hand - she can still see him smiling. “He survived a couple times already.”

“More than survived,” Sora corrects. “Last time we did it, I found a chunk of super strong orichalcum in one of the cave tunnels. Perfect for synthesis and it helped me finish one of my keyblade forms!”

“A ride with prizes,” Riku says, nodding sagely. 

Kairi buries her face in her mittened hands and groans loudly. There’s no way they’re not going to do this and there’s no way she’s going to stay up here and watch them crash and eat snow - or worse, wait without any idea if they’re hurt or not. “Fine,” she says. “Fine!” She stomps forward, crushing the snow under her boots. The noise is not nearly as satisfying for getting her nerves out as she’d like.

Riku gestures for her to sit before him and she does, scooting up close to Sora’s back. She wraps her arms around him and lifts her elbows as Riku sits behind her, one large arm circling around her waist. It feels very slightly less dangerous to be sandwiched between them. Kairi carefully sets her feet, Riku’s knees bumping into hers as he wiggles. “I feel like I’m going to fall off the back,” he grumbles.

“It’s not too late to choose sense,” Kairi tells him.

Except they’re starting to lean forward, the nose of the sled tipping down as Sora scoots them forward. He whoops as gravity takes hold of them and then they’re racing across the snow at a speed that makes Kairi dizzy. Waves of it are thrown up by the rails of the sled, their speed making a wake that reminds her of the ocean. Or it would if she could see anything but smears of white and green.

Kairi squeezes Sora’s middle, convinced that this will be the end of them more than anything. Why, oh why, couldn’t they have started on a smaller hill?

“Riku!” Sora shouts over his shoulder. “Lean left!”

The weight of the sled shifts, one side lifting off the ground and Kairi squeaks. They turn, skidding through the snow, and then slide over another drop. Kairi yelps as they land, snow flying up around them. “How did you do this before?”

“On Goofy’s shield,” Sora answers cheerfully and then sends a wind spell behind them to get them moving again. Riku laughs as they pick up a bit of speed, his arm tightening around Kairi.

“I thought Goofy was the responsible one!” Kairi has to shout over the wind whipping around them, but hears both of them laugh in reply. Now that they’re not on top of the mountain, it’s a bit easier to feel like she’s having a bit of fun. Riku’s grip on her is also helping. He’s not going to slip off and he won’t let her fall off either.

Kairi lifts her head from behind the safety of Sora’s shoulder and can see a little ramp again. If she asked, Sora would avoid it. She knows he would. But the flip of her stomach is more than just nerves - this is exciting.

“Last bump,” Sora shouts encouragingly. “Hang on!”

Riku’s arm squeezes her and Kairi tightens her grip on Sora. They fly up the ramp and then they’re in the air. They hang for seconds that feel like minutes and then they land in the snow. The force of it leaves her breathless and Kairi pants as the snow settles around them. All three of them are breathing hard and Riku breaks first.

Letting go, he flops backward off the sled and into the snow. “I think I left my heart halfway up. I can’t feel it anymore.”

Sora laughs and leans back into Kairi. “It’s okay, we’ll go back for it. Kairi?”

She pinches his cheek and tugs it gently. “Next time, make the first run somewhere lower. Then go for that one.” She kisses his forehead. “But it was fun.”

“This is a lot more fun when you’re not being chased by a bunch of giant Heartless,” Sora agrees. “That’s how we did it the first time, so I thought this would be calmer.”

“Only to you, Sora.” Riku is still lying in the snow. “Only to you.”

Sora grins and bounces up to his feet. “Does that mean you don’t want to go again?”

Kairi looks back at Riku. He lifts his head to meet her excited gaze and then sighs. “Well, I didn’t say I was going to be the sensible one. Sure, let’s go again.” He pushes himself up, shaking the snow off his sleeves.

“Yes!” Sora jumps into the air. “Great. There’s a spot over here so that we can jump right back to the top easily. It’s so much better than walking all the way back up, let me  _ tell you. _ ”

Laughing, Kairi stands. Sora’s already grabbed the sled and she grabs Riku’s hand. They follow Sora, faces flushed and debating who gets to drive this time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm a roller coaster loving fool so I'd absolutely be Sora in this case


	5. Day 5: Domestic | Gifts

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> laughs awkwardly as I slid in at the last minute for the day.........before. 😔  
> I'm dying, Squirtle, but I'm going to finish this week!!

Day 5: ~~Domestic~~ **| Gifts**

**Akemi (Sora’s M): Reminder! We’re having Sora’s birthday party on Thursday. Join us for dinner and cake!!**

Two days. He has two days. Riku stares at the most recent message he’s gotten from Akemi and can feel the guilt rising up to eat at him. Two days to get a gift together for Sora’s seventeenth birthday is nowhere near enough time.

_ You’d have more time if you hadn’t put it off for a week by fretting like an old woman. _

“I wish I was an old woman,” Riku mutters. “Then the gift would have been done a month ago.” He drags his hand down his face and sighs deeply. He’s basically out of time. He needs to just go  _ ask. _ He’s going to look like an idiot, but at least he’ll have something to give to Sora on Thursday.

With a few taps, he switches to his messages with Kairi. As he types out a text asking if she’s free, he turns and heads for her house. Knowing his luck she’ll be out, but maybe not. And if she is home, pleading eyes are more effective if applied immediately. If it works for Sora, it’s gotta work for him.

Luck is on his side.

**Kairi⭐: Yeah, I’m hanging around. Come give me your nails for practice!**

Riku chuckles, relieved. He tells her he’s on his way and it takes him all of two minutes to reach her house. Kairi’s window faces the road and is thrown open. Cupping his hands around his mouth, he shouts her way, “Kairi!”

Her head pops through her curtains and she waves. “Come on up!” She backs up, already predicting his path. 

Well, he wouldn’t want to disappoint. Riku trots over to the ground beneath her window and then shakes his arms out. One jump takes him halfway up the wall and the second gets his hands on the frame. Riku heaves himself up onto the sill and huffs. “Are your parents home?”

“Dad might be. Not sure and I figured you didn’t want to get held up for half an hour talking about whatever he’s been reading lately.” Kairi pats her bed, a pile of nail polish bottles on one of her pillows. “You need to learn to excuse yourself.”

“Excuse me for having manners.” Riku swings his legs in and takes the spot beside her on the bed. Kairi takes one of his hands, examining his nails - and giving him time to ask whatever it is he needs to. She knows him well.

He can do this. Sure, he looks like an idiot, but the important thing is to ask instead of spending even longer worrying about it and then giving Sora something crap. And this is the loop he’s been caught in for days. Every time he went shopping, every time he went out to look for a great birthday gift, everything always looked not right, not  _ good enough _ for Sora.

So making something would be great, right? It’s heartfelt, it shows extra effort - it’s the perfect thing to do for a gift. Sora makes things for them all the time: synthesis items, food, accessories. The problem is Riku has absolutely no crafting skills. Sure, he can synthesize an elixir or whatever, but that doesn’t compare to the thing Kairi and Sora take in their hands and make into something beautiful.

“I’m in trouble, Kai,” he finally says. “I’ve got nothing for Sora’s birthday.”

She lets go on his hand, sorting through the nail polish beside her. Riku tugs his glove off, not wanting any splash to stain the black fabric. “You’ve got two days,” she says. “My present for him isn’t here yet. It’s what I get for ordering from the mainland.”

“Mainland-mainland or universal-mainland?” Riku eyes the nail polish. “Maybe something silver?”

“You always want blue, silver, and purple.” Kairi sticks her tongue out at him. “I want to try yellow.”

“Yellow isn’t a good color for my skin.” Riku sticks his tongue out right back. “Kai, seriously.”

She blows a breath out. “Our mainland, not like Radiant Garden or something. I ordered him a bird from the glass blower there. It’s going to be colored so the wings have rainbow feathers.”

That sounds amazing. Riku drops his head into his other hand and groans. “He’s going to love that.”

“You could pay me and I’ll put your name on it.” Kairi pats his wrist and uncaps a bottle of deep green. “But it sounds like you want my advice for something else.”

“I was thinking about making something for him. He always makes things for me and I wanted to give him something back. The effort makes it seem so authentic - like you with our charms. But I’ve got no idea what to do.” Riku fiddles with a zipper, flipping it back and forth.

Kairi hums, painting one of his nails with a long smooth stroke. The green is brighter when it’s spread, but still the rich color of ferns and jungle vines. “You don’t have  _ any _ ideas?” She’s distracted, or pretending to be, looking down at her work and nudging him gently.

Riku bites his lip. “Not really. I haven’t done anything like that in years. It feels like the last thing I really worked on was the raft.”

“Geez, has it been that long? Riku, you have to get a hobby and take time for it.” Kairi looks up at him, his hand already half painted. “The keyblade stuff is practically a job. Take a break once in a while!”

“I do!” Riku protests. “I take plenty of breaks to come home and relax. Aqua won’t let me run all over the universe forever.”

Kairi gives him a look. “So, your hobby is what? Sleeping?”

Riku opens his mouth and then shuts it. “No,” he mutters. “That’s Sora’s hobby.”

She snorts and looks down again. “What did you even do for the raft? Besides get the logs.”

“The knots,” he answers immediately. “You two said I was the best at them.”

“Oh, right! Yeah, you and Sora were arguing about it, so I had to choose.”

Riku sighs at her. “I don’t get why you picked me. Sora’s been tying sailors’ knots since before he could walk.”

Kairi looks up at him, all cheeky smile and freckles. “Because you spent time crocheting with your mom.” She laughs at his expression. “And because I knew you’d check Sora’s work anyway.”

He absolutely would have - he was worried about every detail so that their trip off the island would go perfectly.  _ That sure turned out a way, didn’t it? _ Riku shakes his head. “That’s ridiculous.” But his mom still has a lot of yarn and hadn’t Sora been complaining about storm season coming on and how draft his room got compared to sleeping in the bunks on the gummi ship?

Riku stares toward the window, trying to think. He can’t do a whole blanket in two days, but if he got started tonight… Maybe he does a scarf for Sora’s birthday, he can use that while traveling for keyblade master duties, and then the blanket could be an end of the year gift. That’s maybe halfway through storm season, but if he got it done early…

He doesn’t notice as Kairi takes his other hand, caught up in thinking about the colors Sora would like best for a blanket and which would look best as a scarf. She’s done two flowers on his original hand by the time he checks back in. “Are those sunflowers?”

“Yeah! Don’t they look nice?” Kairi lets him lift his hand to take a closer look. “Any ideas?”

Smiling at his nails, Riku nods. “Yeah, actually. Though if I call you tomorrow in the middle of lying in the middle of my floor and bemoaning life, maybe add my name to the tag for the bird.”

Kairi laughs and takes his hand again. The squeeze of her fingers against his is the greatest reassurance that he’ll do fine.

It takes Riku almost down to the hour before Sora’s party, but he gets the scarf done. In the end, Sora turns seventeen and gets a glass bird, rainbow wings spread as it takes flight, and a scarf that wraps the rainbow around his neck. Riku and Kairi are already seventeen, but gladly take Sora’s kisses in return for their gifts.


	6. Day 6: Reunion | Wish

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one is alllll over the place, so uh...hopefully you enjoy? I had many thinks and then got a bit burnt out on writing, but dammit I wanted to finish!
> 
> Day 7 is going up right away with this one, so be sure to check that out too!

Day 6:  **Reunion | Wish**

_ When you wish upon a star, makes no difference who you are _

_ Anything your heart desires will come to you _

The words keep looping in his head, sung by a soft voice that he can’t quite recall the origin of. It’s better than the beep of computers and monitors, a constant reminder that they’re studying the body laid out on the table.

_ That’s Kairi. That’s  _ **_Kairi._ ** _ Not a body. What is wrong with you? _

Riku drops his head onto his arms and sighs. What’s wrong with him? Everything’s wrong. He’s so tired, so lost, and even with Kairi physically beside him, he feels like the only one around for miles. “I’m losing my mind, Kai. I wish...I wish I could help by diving to your heart. At least then we’d be together.”

“It’d be better if you both were here, like it should be.”

Kairi doesn’t answer - held in a deep sleep by the machines around her, she doesn’t so much as twitch, no matter what he says. Riku sighs again and considers sleeping in the chair beside her. Her fingers are limp in his grip, but warm. He can feel her heartbeat, the soothing light of her heart, and if he falls asleep, it’ll almost be like she’s there with him.

_ Anything your heart desires will come to you… _

There aren’t any stars down here in the lab. The only light comes from the girl on the table and even that isn’t enough to wish on. Riku slowly pushes himself to his feet, exhausted. He looks down at her, a wrinkle between her eyebrows. He leans down and kisses it. “Sweet dreams, Kai.”

When he straightens, her expression’s eased. Riku brushes his hand over her hair and then turns away. Coming here is hard, leaving is hard - walking the worlds knowing that they’re both in places he can’t reach is the hardest.

He feels like a ghost as he winds his way through the castle. The halls are empty, only a few lights on to lead anyone out. Is it night? It’s hard to tell with no windows and when Ienzo and Even keep such odd hours. Has he been here that long? Is anyone waiting on him? Riku slumps against the wall and bites back a sigh.

No, no one’s really waiting for him. They’re all looking, all searching, and he has to keep going. He can’t be the one to stop, to fail. They have to find Sora and bring him back home. It’s Riku’s responsibility. If it wasn’t for him...none of them would have even left the island.

During the day, in times when his thoughts are clearer and there are others around, Riku knows that’s not true. Kairi had already come to the island, so had Terra and Aqua. Ven’s heart came to Sora. Something would have come, even if he hadn’t been drawn to the door. But now it’s late and he’s alone and the guilt falls so heavily on his shoulders.

_ You don’t have time to mope. Get moving! _

Riku shoves off the wall, motion the only remedy he has. Funny enough, the entryway is only one more turn away. He blinks at the front doors and then looks behind him. Still, the hall is empty. Maybe it’s  _ very _ late. Maybe dawn is breaking outside. He wouldn’t mind seeing that. Maybe a sunrise will remind him to have something like hope.

The door creaks open with a push of his hand. He slips outside, letting it close behind him, and then squints up at the sky. Dawn has not yet broken, the sky a dark blue broken only by the stars. Slumping back against the door, Riku rubs at his eyes. That’s why he’s so tired. It’s the middle of the night.  _ When did I last sleep anyway? _

It’s probably not a good thing that he can’t remember right away. 

Riku shakes his head and looks up at the sky again.

_ When you wish upon a star… _

...Well, he hasn’t tried that yet.

Riku scans the sky, looking for a star that seems brighter, seems  _ right. _ A shooting star is an easy thing to wish on - a stationary one requires consideration. He scans the sky, back and forth, until he finally spots a star that’s tinted a pale blue.  _ The color of Kairi’s eyes, the color of Sora’s heart. _

He takes a breath, fingers curling into his shirt over his heart. “Please,” he whispers to an empty hour, “please let them come back to me.”

The star doesn’t answer, doesn’t twinkle brighter and drop Sora right in front of him. The wind blows a chill breeze around him and he’s as alone as he was a moment ago. “Right,” Riku says flatly, “wishes are for people who actually believe.” Like Sora, gliding through the air as he laughs.  _ ‘Come on, Riku, you just have to believe!’ _

Riku wrenches the door open and goes back inside. Sleeping a dreamless sleep in an empty bed has to be better than wishing on the stars like a foolish child.

* * *

“Riku!” Something warm and glowing with light lands on top of him. He coughs and wiggles, trying to see what’s attacking him while glowing like a lamp. He gets pieces: red hair, freckles, hands reaching for his face.

She’s got his cheeks cupped and their lips pressed together before he really understands that it’s Kairi. He kisses her warmly and then frees an arm from his blanket to hold her close. “What are you doing up?”

Kairi snuggles up close to him, looking so much more lively than she had mere hours before. (Light, he hopes it’s only been a few hours.) “They woke me up. Apparently their computers picked up something late last night. They want time to examine the data before putting me under again. Your turn to sleep,” she teases, tapping his cheek. Her eyes don’t seem to be quite as happy. “You look tired,” she says softly. 

He drops his head on top of hers. She smells the same as always, like she only used her favorite shampoo yesterday. “I missed you,” he confesses. 

She wraps an arm around him and squeezes. “Missed you too. It felt like I was dreaming for ages, but I never could find what I was looking for.”

“Me too.” Riku just holds her, solid and awake and  _ here _ . “We should look together next time.”

Kairi hums agreement and the two of them stay like that until someone comes to find them.

* * *

“-nd you should be able to find him.” Ienzo’s voice is very calm, very factual. He sounds completely certain.

Riku, holding tight to Kairi’s hand, can hardly believe it. Only a few hours ago, he was completely on his own, waiting to find a lead to Sora and waiting for Kairi to wake up. Now, Kairi is squeezing his hand just as tightly and Ienzo has a plan for them to find Sora.

“When can we go?” Kairi asks, her voice like steel. Riku would collapse without her.

Ienzo looks between them and then behind them. “After breakfast. It’ll take a lot of energy to do this. I’m glad the both of you got some sleep last night.” He looks at Riku in particular. Riku just blinks, not interested in arguing. “Aeleus can show you to the kitchen.”

Kairi is pressing her lips together, eyes narrowing. She’s prepared to argue, ready to go and get their boyfriend back after so long - after he gave up everything to save them. Riku tugs at her hand. “I could use some breakfast. And they’ll have a bit longer to make sure everything’s ready.”

She looks up at him and it cracks the fierce determination that would have her leaping into the void, plan or no plan. “Alright, alright. Let’s get something to eat.” Kairi turns them and Aeleus is waiting by the door. “Are there pancakes?”

Aeleus nods. “And several fresh fruit syrups. This way.”

“Maybe,” Kairi whispers as they follow him, “maybe we’ll have him back by lunch.”

It probably won’t be that easy, but Riku squeezes her hand and tries to have hope.

* * *

_ May your heart be your guiding key. _

_ Anything your heart desires will come to you. _

In the end, Riku barely remembers their trip. There’s darkness and light - the universe itself whispering for them to turn back, that it is too late to save him. They clasp each other’s hands, ignore the whispering, and keep going. 

They fly through water or maybe they sky. Kairi’s wings are light and memory - Riku’s are dreams and dawn. They follow the tug at their hearts and after endless night, they see someone lying in the water, stars all around him.

Sora lifts a hand and they sweep him up in their arms. Riku and Kairi hold him between them, as tight as they can. It’s hard to say who starts crying first, but it hardly seems to matter when they’re all just so happy to be together again.   
  
Sitting in the cool water, as the sky begins to lighten, Riku looks up and finds that same blue-tinted star. Somehow, it’s here too. He presses his chin to Sora’s hair, breathing in his presence, and whispers to the song in his mind, to the star far above, “Thank you.”


	7. Day 7: Wedding | Free

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I FINISHED ON TIME WOO
> 
> This one was actually much easier to write than the last so at least we're ending on a high note!  
> Thank you to the organizer for sorikai week and I look forward to catching up on everyone else's works soon!

Day 7: ~~Wedding~~ **| Free Day**

It’s a bright, beautiful day. The sun hangs overhead, only a few bits of cloud slowly crossing the sky - they don’t grow bigger, there’s no chance of a storm today. The sky is so incredibly blue, a blue that’s unmatched anywhere else in the universe. The ocean is the same: blue and green and waves capped in white. There is nothing like it, no other ocean is quite the same.

Sora breathes in the salty air of Destiny Islands, of home. Something in the air always feels different, like the sky and the sea, nothing quite compares to the place he grew up. He buries his toes in the sand, feeling the tiny stones and shell bits that are inescapable on a beach. The play island sits on the horizon, so much closer than it used to feel.  _ It’s like a world all on its own, but it’s right there. _

He could go there instead of sitting here and staring at it. There’s no reason not to when they’re meeting their friends there later. But, it doesn’t feel like the right time yet. What will be the right time, Sora can’t say, but he’ll know in his heart. Maybe he’ll see the light of a gate to the Lanes Between opening or a flash of the gummi ship landing. Maybe he’s watching to see if the shadows darken and a corridor opens instead.

Maybe he’s sitting on the beach because that’s a thing he likes.

Sora huffs, more amused with himself than anything. He does like the beach. He likes sleeping in the sand and lounging by the water and racing through the waves, each of them seeing who can body surf the furthest. He likes where he comes from and he’s glad to be home and be that person again.

He lifts a hand and summons his keyblade. The Kingdom Key is warm, it’s always warm in his grip, and maybe it’s his imagination, but it seems like it likes being here too. “It’s where we met, huh?” he whispers to the sharpest part of his heart. “Thank you for staying with me until we got back.”

He feels something like a hum and then the keyblade vanishes in a flash of light. Sora puts a hand over his heart, the keyblade like the softest of weights as it rests there, and then looks up at the sky again. Maybe he’s got time for a nap.

“Sora!” Kairi’s voice rings through the clear air, a bell meant to reach him no matter how far he’s fallen. Sora twists around and waves to her. Kairi doesn’t try to wave back, her arms full with a heavy basket. She hurries toward him, her sandals smacking against the path until she reaches the sand. She stumbles, but quickly adjusts, and drops the basket beside him in the sand. “I see you’re listening for once.”

Sora grins up at her. “Of course I am! Not that you  _ need _ to encourage me to take a nap while everyone else does all the work.”

“Lazy bum,” Kairi drawls, her voice lower than it was when she was fourteen and mostly elbows and knees. “This time Riku can’t lecture us.”

“He’s the one who should be resting.” Sora shifts the basket around, so she can sit beside him. “What’s he even doing?”

Kairi shrugs. “Stuff. You’ll see later.” She drops her head onto his shoulder, their legs pressing together. “What are you doing?”

“Enjoying the weather. Simple, I know.”

“No...it’s a nice day.” Kairi’s hand finds his in the sand and their fingers intertwine. She doesn’t say anything more, both of them looking at the view they’ve seen for most of their lives. Sora’s glad that he’ll get to see it for even longer, that it’ll never really get old for him. This is home - down to the deepest parts of his heart.

Sora’s not sure how long they sit there in the sunshine, the waves washing up on the sand and glowing closer bit by bit. Not too long, the sun hasn’t begun to dip low yet, but he thinks he, or maybe both of them, drift off for a bit. He’s definitely not fully awake when a finger taps the top of his head.

He looks up and Riku is very close. He’s squatting behind the two of them and one hand brushes Sora’s cheek. Sora smiles at him and stretches up. Riku, good obliging boyfriend that he is, leans down to brush their lips together. “Hey,” he says. “Having a good break?”

“Better now that you guys are here.” Sora pats the sand on his other side. “Got a few minutes?”

Riku nods and settles. “Everything’s just about done. You’re the guest of honor, so it’s not like we’ve got to rush now.” He looks at Kairi, still stubbornly leaning on Sora’s other shoulder, and his soft smile makes Sora’s heart jump.  _ How did I get so lucky? _ There’s no answer coming anytime soon.

“I’m glad you guys talked everyone out of that crazy ball thing they wanted to have in Radiant Garden. I do  _ not _ deserve all of that just for coming home.”

Kairi blows a raspberry. “You do deserve it, but Ienzo made it sound like the stuffiest thing ever. I don’t trust anyone who wears a cravat to plan a good party.”

“Hey, be nice.” Riku sticks his tongue out. “He’s an adult, you know, and was trying to celebrate his way.”

“His way sucks and I bet he has a better time at this party.”

Sora laughs at them both and takes Riku’s hand. As warm and happy as the keyblade can be in his hands, he much prefers to fill them like this. “Did you invite everyone?”

“No,” they answer at the same time. All three of them have to laugh at that. “No,” Kairi repeats. “For one,  _ some people _ are pretty strict about the world order thing. And for two, if we invited all of your friends, there wouldn’t be enough room on the play island for them all. People would be up trees just to have breathing room.”

“Hey, there’s nothing wrong with enjoying a cookout from up a tree.” Sora nudges her cheek. “No one can steal your food then.”

Kairi lifts her head so he can clearly see her eyes roll. “Except for the monkey that’s you, Sora. I’ve been on the shack roof and you hopped up and stole my entire plate.”

“It was a joke! I gave it back!”

“Not before dumping half it in the sand while she tried to grab it back,” Riku says dryly. “It’s a miracle you’re still alive.”

“Yes it is,” Kairi says and pokes Sora in the shoulder. “You’re lucky you were cute even back then.”

Sora smiles, deepening his dimples. “I’m cute?”

“You’re a menace.” Kairi leans up and kisses his cheek. Sora turns and catches her lips for a real kiss. She gets him back by poking him in his far too ticklish side. She laughs as he yelps and leans back. “And so am I.”

“Universal menaces,” Riku agrees and leans in from Sora’s other side. “What about me?”

“You got one! I saw Sora doing the cute upside down thing with you.” Kairi points at him. “If you’re looking for one from me, come get one.”

Riku leans forward immediately, squishing Sora between them as he kisses Kairi. Sora laughs and kisses each of their cheeks before they pull back. “Everybody good now?”

“Never,” Kairi says with relish. “I’m going to kiss you in front of all of our friends.”

Sora flushes. “Really? I don’t know if they’re ready for that.” Or maybe he’s not ready for the teasing he’s going to get. Roxas, Ven, Xion...they could all make fun of him. Who knows how much they already know!

“Either way, we should get moving. Everyone’s waiting to see you again, Sora.” Riku brushes some of the sand from his shirt and makes to get up. Sora tugs him back, their fingers still intertwined. “What?”

“Just...one more minute. Then we can go.” Sora looks back toward the play island - he looks out at the sea and the sky still the brightest, unequaled blue. (Riku and Kairi know their equal - Sora’s eyes are the same bright, beautiful color.) “I just want one more minute here with you.”

They press against his sides, hands held tightly. 

“No rush,” Riku says. “No one will really mind waiting.”

“Some might,” Kairi corrects, “but who cares? It’s your party and if you want to spend it sitting on the beach here, you can.”

Sora laughs and lifts their hands up. He kisses their fingers, a brush of his lips against the warmth of their skin. “I only need another minute. I want to remember this.”  _ This _ being the three of them sitting in the sand, the water starting to brush their toes, and enjoying the sight and the feeling of home together.

He breathes in and knows that this is the place he wants etched forever in his heart.


End file.
